In poll run-up, govt told to focus on SCs

NEW DELHI: The committee of ministers, set up by the UPA to review all measures for Dalit welfare, has asked the government to swiftly formulate "special programmes" covering 149 districts where SCs comprise 20% or more of the population. In what can be read as a Congress move to resist Mayawati’s attempt to expand her Dalit base beyond UP, the high-profile committee of ministers on Dalit affairs headed by Pranab Mukherjee has suggested changes in the existing schemes of a whole range of ministries — from agriculture and health to telecommunications to textiles — to ensure that benefits reach the targeted constituency. The panel in its recommendation on education and skill development has suggested that the Department of Agriculture Research and Education and Indian Council of Agricultural Research should take steps (including coaching for entrance examinations) to ensure that 15% seats reserved for SCs in under-graduate, post-graduate and doctoral programmes in agriculture education are fully filled up, while special academic support and placement assistance is provided to those undergoing agriculture education courses. Similarly, the health ministry has been asked to ensure that SC students aspiring for medical, dental, nursing and pharmacy courses are provided good quality coaching facilities in district headquarters. Aiming to address the farming community under distress, the committee has asked the agriculture ministry to strive to ensure adequate representation of SCs in skill development schemes. The ministry has been asked to guarantee that 16% beneficiaries of the schemes to help agriculture graduates set up agri-clinic and agri-business centres are from among SCs.
The panel has suggested reservation for SCs in training courses in National Institute of Agriculture Extension Management and Extension Education Institutes to ensure that benefits of reform in the sector reach the disadvantaged group. From the point of view of Congress which is faced with a strong challenge from BSP, the recommendations could not have come a day sooner. Non-implementation of the schemes conceived and launched, with much fanfare, for Dalits have helped Mayawati popularise BSP’s message. The UP chief minister has capitalised on unfulfilled promises to make the case that no party other than BSP can be trusted to improve the lot of Dalits. The committee found that the present outlay of Rs 5 lakh for giving assistance to National Labour Cooperative Federation for Skill Development Programme to be inadequate and has recommended it be hiked. It also wants Dalits to be proportionally represented in other schemes as well: skill enhancement under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY), training programme of central poultry development organisation, National Project for Improvement of Small Animal and Poultry. Another recommendation pertains to the setting up of Krishi Vigyan Kendras in districts and blocks with high Dalit concentration. The timing of the recommendations is significant, with Rahul Gandhi engaged in a seemingly ambitious move to make forays into Mayawati’s stronghold of UP and the latter seeking to poach Congress’ base among Dalits in the poll-bound states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. Mayawati also entered the Karnataka arena in a big way. While whether she would be able to make her presence felt remains to be seen, her Southern enterprise has not gone down well with Congress leadership which, having failed to rope in BSP, has drifted towards SP. The committee, aiming to widen health coverage to poorer section, has asked health ministry that intensive efforts are needed to recruit Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) from among SC women. The recruitment of Dalits Panchakarma attendants is another recommendation.
( Source: TOI)